


The Joys in Living a Cursed Life

by PadawanMaxineKenobi



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: August Ages Slow, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Minor Angst, Non-Linear Narrative, One Shot Collection, Pregnancy, Romance, Weddings, series of One-shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2019-09-29 23:25:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17212814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PadawanMaxineKenobi/pseuds/PadawanMaxineKenobi
Summary: AU Mavis didn't die from the kiss. This is the life of Mavis, Zeref, and their son August.





	1. Walking

“August! Come here, August!” Mavis called. The boy in question stood a yard away, his small hands holding on to a tree to keep himself up.

“Come on August! You can do it! Come to Mommy!”

“How about Daddy helps you start?”

Mavis smiled widely at the black-haired man who walked out of the trees into the clearing where Mavis and August were.

“Zeref!”

“Hello Mavis. Teaching August to walk?”

“Yup! He’s been trying on his own. I’m just giving him a little push.”

“Well, I think it’s okay if I give him a hand.”

“Of course!”

Zeref walked over to his son and knelt next to him.

“Hello August. I’m going give you a hand, okay? You just have to walk to Mommy, okay? Here, hold my hand.”

August gripped two of his father’s fingers as Zeref stood up.

“Okay, August. Slow at first. One foot in front of the other. That’s it. Okay, ready to go on your own? Straight to Mommy, okay August?”

The duo walked a bit faster before August let go of his father’s fingers and ran straight to his mother’s arms as fast as his short legs would allow him to. Mavis immediately pulled her son into her arms for a hug and a smothering of kisses.

“Good job August! Mommy is so proud of you!”

Zeref walked over and sat next to the blondes.

“Daddy is too, August.” The man said, pressing a kiss to the boy’s head and rubbing his back.

The toddler in question looked up at his parents, blinking his large black eyes, before closing them with a wide grin that he inherited from his father.

“Augus wuvs you Mommy! Augus wuvs you Daddy!”

“We love you too August.”

“Yes. We love you _sooooo_ much.”

August giggled as his parents both began pressing kisses to his face, which quickly evolved into a tickle war. (Zeref won. Both August and Mavis were extremely ticklish.)

That night Mavis and Zeref started to regret teaching their son to walk, as he quickly had learned how to run from them, and therefore bedtime. Not to mention, the boy was already very clever.

“August! August, come back! Where are you my little fairy?”

“August, come back! August!”

August smirked from his hiding spot. Sure, his parents thought he had just ran off into the woods, but honestly he was in the most comfortable place he knew: Mommy and Daddys’ bed!


	2. Little Kicks

“Zeref! Zeref!” Mavis called, searching for her immortal lover. The black-haired mage quickly ran to her from the woods, a worried expression over his face.

“Mavis? What’s wrong? Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself? Is it the baby? Are they okay?”

Mavis laughed, shaking her head.

“No! No, nothings wrong. Honestly, you worry to much Zeref!”

Zeref shook his head, relieved. Taking Mavis’ hand, he led her to a fallen log.

“Come on. Sit down, Mavis. You’re seven months pregnant. You really shouldn’t be running around so much.”

“Almost seven months, Zeref. Not quite. Besides, I’m fine, and so is the baby. Aren’t you, my little miracle?” Mavis asked, rubbing her middle as Zeref sat down beside her. Gently, he too laid a hand on her abdomen, the other rubbing circles on her back.

“All the same, you should be careful. It’s unlikely that you’ll miscarry at this stage, but it is possible. You don’t eat enough as it is.”

“For a mage most famous for his black magic and demons, you sure know a lot about pregnancy.”

Zeref chuckled forlornly.

“Yes, well, a very, very long time ago there was a little boy who was _really_ excited to be a big brother, and as such made it his personal duty to look out and care for his poor pregnant mother while his father fought in a war.”

“You must have been pretty excited.”

Zeref nodded.

“Yes. I was… four? Yes. I was four years old when my brother was born. My family lived in the outskirts of our city, so there weren’t a lot of children nearby. I didn’t get along well with the children there were. They thought I was… odd. I suppose I was, for a four-year-old. Not very playful. I liked to read, draw, and spend time with my mother. So when I learned that I was to be a big brother, I was very excited. I’m excited to be a father too.”

Mavis smiled at him.

“You’ll be a wonderful father.”

Zeref smiled at her, and gently pressed his lips to hers.

“Thank you.” He murmured, his eyes closed.

“Of course.” She whispered back. “Ah!”

Zerefs’ eyes shot open and he stared at the blonde as she grimaced.

“Mavis! Mavis, what’s wrong?”

Mavis smiled and opened one eye to look at him.

“I thought you knew all about pregnancies?”

“Yes! Everything people in Sin knew about them _300 years ago!_ I don’t know everything in general! And there may be stuff I’ve forgotten! It has been 300 years Mavis! Are you _okay?_ I’m panicking!”

“Calm down. This actually has to do with why I called you over in the first place.”

“Is there something wrong?”

Mavis laughed, placing a hand on Zerefs’ cheek.

“No! No, the baby’s kicking. And you should be able to feel it now, if you place your hands in the right spot.”

Zerefs’ eyes went wide and his mouth hung open for a moment, before giving way to a large, fanged grin.

“Really?”

“Really. Here, give me your hands.”

Mavis placed both of Zerefs’ hands on her middle, her own on top of them as she moved them, her eyes closed. After a minute or so, she stopped and opened her eyes.

“Hold them there.”

Zeref did, eyes staring at his own hands, before there was suddenly a pressure against his left palm.

“Oh…”

“Do you feel it? “

Zeref merely nodded, speechless for a moment.

“Mavis… Mavis, it’s _amazing._ ”

“Isn’t it? I was super surprised when I first felt it. I mean, I’ve been feeling movement for months. But I was just sort of rubbing it and- Zeref? Zeref, are you alright? You’re crying.”

“Ye-yes. I’m just… overwhelmed. Thank you Mavis. Thank you thank you thank you.” Zeref sobbed, wrapping his arms around Mavis. She smiled back, returning the hug and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“I love you too Zeref.”

 


	3. Wedding

I don’t own Fairy Tail

* * *

 

Zeref smiled, watching Mavis as she frolicked in a field full of flowers. Their curse was being lenient it seemed; neither of them had expelled any death magic for almost two hours now. It was a beautiful day too, early September, the air still warm, flowers in bloom, the sun was shining with only a few fluffy white clouds dotting the sky. Zeref closed his eyes and leaned his head back, allowing a gentle wind to run through his dark hair.

“Zeref! Zeref!”

Mavis’ sudden shout had the dark mage bolting upright, concerned. He relaxed upon seeing the blondes’ wide smile as she raced towards him, waving a bouquet of wildflowers in her grasp. She came to a sudden stop before him.

“I just thought of something!” She declared excitedly. Zeref smiled and stood up, brushing off his robe and toga.

“What?” he inquired.

“We should get married!” she exclaimed, grabbing his hands so that her bouquet was held between them. Zeref blinked, trying to determine if he had heard her correctly. Judging by her eager face, yes, he had.

“I’m not opposed to it, but I’m not sure we can.” He told her gently. Mavis frowned.

“Why not?”

“Because there are a lot of legalities involved in getting married, and we can’t exactly walk to the nearest courthouse to do it.” Mavis slumped over in disappointment, letting go of Zeref’s hands.

“I hadn’t thought of that.” She muttered. Zeref pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, before gently cupping her face. Mavis bit her lip, before looking back up at him hopefully.

“Can we have a wedding with everything besides that though? I mean, we couldn’t invite anyone, which is sad, but we could do a bunch of the other things, right? We could wear nice clothing, give each other rings, and hold hands while exchanging vows, and then kiss! We could do that, right? And call each other husband and wife?”

Zeref smiled at her and let out a small laugh.

“Of course we can.”

Mavis cheered and began twirling around.

“Really? Oh, it’s going to be wonderful! We’ll have to find some other clothes and rings, but it’ll be great! We’ll have to write vows too. And figure out where we should get married. Oh! And I get to change my name! I’ll be Mavis… Mavis…” Fairy Tail’s first master stopped twirling with a frown and turned towards Zeref.

“What is your last name anyway? You’ve never told me.”

Zeref smirked at her.

“I’ll tell you when we get married.”

* * *

 

Of course, it took about a week and a half before the pair had everything they deemed absolutely necessary to get married. They probably could have done it in less than a week, but Mavis had been plagued with illness which prevented her from finishing the alterations to the clothes they had gotten for their wedding. But there they were, dressed in white, at an old Sinian Temple. According to Zeref, it was the Temple of Ria, the goddess of marriage, children, pregnancy, familial love, and fertility. Every marriage he could remember from his childhood had taken place here, among the tall marble pillars and before the large statue of the goddess. Zeref and Mavis glanced at each other, before turning to face the statue. Zeref bent over in a low bow, Mavis quickly following suit.

“Goddess Ria, we ask for your blessing on our union, as you have done for many before us. Please be a witness as we make our vows, and ensure our prosperity and health, till death do we part.” Zeref and Mavis slowly stood up, before turning to face each other, grasping the others hands with their own.

“I, Zeref, take you, Mavis, as my wife, to love, to protect, to cherish, to care for. I vow to respect you, as both my partner and my equal. I vow to love you through good and ill, to support you, and to remain faithful to you, to the end of my days.” Zeref pledged, holding his head high, as he looked into Mavis’ gaze, eyes bright. She smiled up at him, before repeating the words back to him.

“I, Mavis, take you, Zeref, as my husband, to love, to protect, to cherish, to care for. I vow to respect you, as both my partner and my equal. I vow to love you through good and ill, to support you, and to remain faithful to you, to the end of my days.”

The pair squeezed their hands before letting go, each producing a ring. Zeref gently took Mavis’ left hand in his palm, sliding the ring on. Mavis bit her lip as she took Zeref’s hand, sliding the ring on. The pair grinned happily.

“May I?” Zeref whispered, carefully grasping the edges of her veil.

“Of course.” Mavis replied with a smile. Zeref eagerly lifted the veil, cupping her face. Mavis brought her own palms to his cheeks. In unison, the couple closed their eyes and pressed their lips together. Slowly, they broke apart, eyes only open.

“I love you, Mavis Dragneel.” Zeref whispered. Mavis’ eyes went wide as she looked at her new husband.

“And I love you, Zeref Dragneel.” She replied reverently. Zeref closed his eyes and chuckled.

“Ready to go to Tenrou for our honeymoon?” he asked. Mavis beamed.

“Yes! Let’s go let’s go let’s go!” She exclaimed. Zeref laughed as she dragged him away from the temple. He wrapped his arms around the small girl.

“Ready?” Mavis nodded, throwing her arms around his neck. Zeref bent over her, and the two disappeared from Sin in a black ball of magic.

A beautiful woman smiled ruefully at where the newlyweds had disappeared from her spot at the foot of the statue.

“Of course I bless your union, Zeref and Mavis Dragneel. I will provide whatever happiness I can give you, for the curse my younger brother has laid upon you. It is a heavy burden indeed. May your union be happy and fruitful.” The woman suddenly giggled, “Though, judging by the state of our dear young Mavis, you won’t need any assistance with the second part.”

Turning to face her statue, Ria smiled.

“More Dragneels. Oh, Ankhersam will be furious with how this has backfired on him. Ha! Serves him right. Best of luck to you, Zeref and Mavis.”


	4. Swimming

I don't own Fairy Tail.

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s so _hot._ ” Mavis complained. She wasn't wrong. The late July heat was stifling. 

“Mommy, Daddy, August is thiwsty.” The fourteen-month-old holding Mavis’ hand declared. Zeref sighed as his wife and child complained.

“Alright, we’ll stop for the day once we find some water.” The two blondes cheered at his statement.

“To the woods! Mavis declared, pointing across the field they were crossing towards the large canopy of trees. Letting go of her sons’ hand, she dashed across the field. August turned towards his father and held out his arms.

“Up pwease?”

Zeref sighed again and picked the boy up, settling the young toddler on his hip.

“Alright, let's catch up to Mommy.” Zeref pressed his son close to his chest and took off in a sprint.

 

* * *

 

 

“Over here! Over here!” Mavis called, standing by the edge of a slow flowing river.

Zeref carefully set August down as the little boy began to fidget in his father’s hold. He then raised an eyebrow at Mavis, looking at the river.

“I see you found water.”

She smiled at him, as August held on to her legs to peer into the clear water.

“Yup! It’s nice and cool!” Zeref walked over and dipped his fingers in, before splashing himself in the face.

“Mmmm…. That feels nice.” Mavis laughed.

“I bet! I can’t believe you’re wearing all black in this weather!” Zeref glanced down at his outfit.

“My toga is white!” He protested playfully. Mavis rolled her bottle green eyes, gently pushing his shoulder before she lit up in excitement.

“Zeref! We should go swimming!” Zeref stood up.

“It’s certainly a good day too.”

“Swimming?” August asked curiously. Mavis gasped.

“Oh! You don’t know how to swim, do you August? No worries, Mommy and Daddy will teach you. Right Daddy?”

“Of course we will.”

Ten minutes later, Mavis and Zeref stood in swimsuits in the river, knee deep. August was naked, as he couldn’t requip and he didn’t have a lot of clothes anyways. He held tightly on to his father, who was holding him as he walked deeper into the river.

“Alright August, I’m going to bend down now.” Zeref told his son softly. August began to cry as he got closer to the water, frightened.

“It’s alright. It won’t hurt you. We won’t let it. Mommy and Daddy are here right now, alright August? Shhh. It’s okay.”

“Yeah!” Mavis chirped, “See?” she asked her son, falling backward into the water. She came up with a splash, water dripping off of her.

“It’s fun!”

“Don’t worry August, we’re not going to fall like Mommy did. We’ll go slow.” Zeref told August, who was watching Mavis with wide eyes. Slowly, Zeref bent down to his knees, allowing the water to get halfway up his and Augusts’ chests. August gripped tightly to Zeref, before slowly reaching out with one hand to touch the water.

“See? It’s nice.”

“Isn’t it?” Mavis exclaimed, “Do you want to try something, August?”

The boy in question looked up at Zeref who nodded. August turned back to his mother, before hesitantly reaching out to her. Mavis held him from beneath the armpits, walking backward. August giggled as the water rushed past his dragging legs when Mavis turned in a lazy circle.

“Isn’t this fun August? Try kicking.”  August cocked his head, before gripping Mavis’ forearms almost painfully. Then, he slowly began to move his legs up and down.

“That’s it! Good job August! Zeref! Zeref! Look!”

Zeref looked up from where he was doing a back float.

“Good job August. You’re a great swimmer.

 

* * *

 

 

The swim ended just before the sky began to darken, as August had begun yawning. Zeref smiled as Mavis tucked the boy in his makeshift bed of blankets while he carefully turned the fish on the spits over the fire.

“He did well today.” He commented to Mavis as she sat down beside him.

“Mm-hm.” She agreed, leaning against Zeref. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She blinked up at him blearily, giving him a sleepy smile, before raising a hand to cover a yawn. Zeref raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? Was August not the only one to wear themselves out swimming?” Mavis burrowed into his side.

“Hmmm. Maybe. Now shhh.” Zeref chuckled quietly as

Mavis’ breath began to slow. Carefully, he removed her fish from the fire. They could finish cooking it tomorrow, when she could eat it warm.

“Goodnight August. Goodnight Mavis. Sleep well.” He whispered as he watched the fire die to embers.


	5. Barefeet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know it's short and that I haven't updated in months. I fell out of the fandom for awhile. Not that I'm exactly back in at the moment, but I felt like writing this so whatever. Please review!

Zeref strolled through the forest peacefully, humming to himself. Suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of giggles.

“My, my, I wonder where in the world Mavis and August could be.” He commented loudly, noticing two tall strands of blonde hair waving behind a bush to his right. He smirked, then summoned his dark magic to transport himself behind his wife and son.

“Found you!” He sing-songed. August giggled as his father lifted him and began to furiously tickle the child.

“Zeref!” Mavis whined with a pout.

“Mavis~” He called back with a wide grin. The blonde woman rolled her eyes and began to laugh, before joining her husband in tickling their son.

Suddenly, Zeref stopped tickling August.

“August.”

The boy looked up at him, dark eyes wide.

“Yes Daddy?”

Zeref sighed.

“Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”

August blinked in faux innocence.

“Mommy isn’t wearing shoes.” He replied, pointing to his mothers’ own bare feet. Zeref gave his wife an exasperated look. Mavis grinned back unabashedly.

“That’s because Mommy is naughty.” Zeref told August.

“Hey!” Mavis protested. Zeref rolled his eyes.

“Very naughty.”

August giggled looking at his mothers’ pouty expression.

“Tickle ‘er!”

Zeref and Mavis looked at August curiously.

“Tickler?”

August laughed and shook his head.

“Tickle ‘er!”

Suddenly, Zeref grinned.

“We should tickle her? I think you’re right August. We should.”

Mavis gasped, placing a hand over her chest in an exaggerated display of betrayal.

“August! You would turn against me? Your own mother?”

Zeref gently set August down.

“You are the one who taught him bad habits and got him in trouble…” He said teasingly.

Mavis hmphed and crossed her arms, turning around with her nose high. Zeref and August shared a grin before Zeref grabbed Mavis under the arms and began to tickle her.

“Never turn your back on an enemy!” The black wizard proclaimed, sitting down so that August could help him.

“Enemy?” Mavis gasped between laughs, “More like traitors!”

“Mwahahaha!” August giggled as he stuck his small fingers under his mothers’ chin.

Mavis glared at him, though her laughter ruined the effect.

“Traitor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Review!


	6. Pregnancy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup I'm back. Please review!

Mavis shifted uncomfortably on her makeshift bed, mindful of her husband lying beside her, writing in a handmade journal that Mavis privately hoped wasn’t going to become one of his infamous books. She shifted again, watching him as he wrote. After a minute or so, he glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow.

“Is everything alright?’

Mavis bit her lip and curled in on herself.

“I need to tell you something.” She admitted, “Something important.”

Zeref set down his journal a charcoal piece and gave her his full attention, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.

“What is it Mavis?”

Mavis looked away, closed her eyes, let out a nervous breath, then met her husbands’ dark eyes.

“I’m pregnant.” She confessed.

Zeref stared at her for a beat, then smiled, leaned over, and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“I’ve suspected for a while now.” He admitted. Mavis gaped.

“Seriously? How long?”

Zeref looked away, lost in thought.

“Hm… just after we got married.”

“Zeref!” Mavis whined, pushing against his shoulder, “That was a month ago!”

Zeref laughed and nuzzled against her forehead.

“Yes, it was. But it was only a suspicion and I assumed that you would know better than I.”

Mavis huffed and looked away.

“I don’t actually really know any of the symptoms of pregnancy, besides illness and you know, missing bleeding.”

Zeref smirked and began listing various symptoms Mavis had exhibited, counting them off on his fingers.

“Mood swings, tiredness, light-headedness, aversion to and cravings for certain foods, increased urination, um… sensitive breasts.” He mumbled the last one, looking embarrassed. Mavis shoved him again.

“How did you notice all of that?” She demanded. He blushed again.

“After I began to suspect, I kept an eye out for other symptoms.”

Mavis huffed again and burrowed into his side.

“And you didn’t tell me.” She grumbled.

“I thought you would have figured it out!” He protested.

“The only pregnant woman I ever really knew was Rita, and during the beginning of her pregnancy I was involved in a lot of rebuilding from the war and near the end I was distracted because of… well, you know.”

“The curse.”

Mavis nodded, biting her trembling bottom lip, then began to wail.

“I miss them! I miss Yuri, and Precht, and Warrod, and Makarov, and everybody!”

Zeref’s expression became sympathetic as he held her, gently stroking her head.

“I know, Mavis. I know. I’m sorry.”

“I just want them here. They’re my family and I’m going to be a mother soon and they should be- Zeref I’m going to be a _mother_.” Mavis suddenly said, eyes wide. Zeref smiled.

“That is what generally happens when one falls pregnant.”

Mavis gripped his arms tightly, starting to panic.

“Zeref, how am I supposed to be a mother? I have no idea what to do! I was barely more then a toddler when my parents died, then I became an indentured servant, but everyone else on Tenrou was slaughtered when I was six! I raised myself! I have practically no role models!”

Zeref chuckled.

“Mavis calm down. After living for literally centuries, I can assure you that basically every parent ever wings it. We just have to avoid what our parents did in dying and be there. Of course, considering that we’re immortal, that shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Mavis relaxed at that.

“I suppose you’re right.”

Zeref smirked and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“I usually am.”

“Zeref!”

The Black Wizard laughed, extinguished his magic light, laid back down and pulled a blanket over them.

“Shhh. It’s bedtime.”

“Zeref!” Mavis protested again as Zeref began to spoon her.

“Sleepy time.” He murmured in her ear. Mavis yawned.

“You’re lucky I’m already tired.”

“Mmm.”

“Good night Zeref.”

“Good night Mavis. Good night Baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review!


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